Chapter 31
Part 1
Lian Wushang considered Wen Heng quite the peculiar case. Where this corpse had come from was anyone’s guess, but having clung to the Sky-Piercing Giant Tree for far too long, the tree had taken root within him. Sooner or later, the roots of the Sky-Piercing Giant Tree would completely replace every meridian in his body. In the end, Wen Heng’s consciousness would be swallowed whole by the tree… That had always been Lian Wushang’s belief.
He expected the giant tree’s roots within Wen Heng’s body to grow, but never imagined the genuine Ding Tian Giant Tree in Wen Heng’s hand would sprout! Lian Wushang seized Wen Heng’s wrist once more, then probed deep into his body with his divine sense.
Last time, his divine sense had been blocked by the roots of the Heaven-Piercing Giant Tree. This time, it was blocked again. Sensing Lian Wushang’s divine sense, the giant tree began to stir restlessly once more.
Wen Heng suddenly grabbed Lian Wushang’s hand: “Wushang… stop…” He was on the verge of succumbing to that bloodthirsty urge again. Lian Wushang looked at Wen Heng in confusion. What should he do? He desperately wanted to see what was happening inside Wen Heng’s body.
Wen Heng’s heart pounded like a drum, his breath coming in gasps. His face turned pale, his eyes bloodshot, and two sharp fangs emerged. Weng Heng was in agony. He clutched Lian Wushang tightly. Lian Wushang could only feel Weng Heng’s body stiffen to an unnatural degree. Strangely enough, Lian Wushang didn’t feel repulsed by Weng Heng’s touch or embrace. If this had been any other demon from the Yuanling Realm, Lian Wushang would have long since tossed them into the Canglang Cloud Sea.
After holding Lian Wushang for a while, Wen Heng finally suppressed the bloodlust surging within him. Lian Wushang patted his back. “Feeling better now?” Only then did Wen Heng awkwardly release Lian Wushang. He had held him so tightly, surely causing pain.
“Sorry. I just wanted to check your condition. I didn’t expect your spiritual energy to react so strongly to my divine sense.” Lian Wushang felt he should apologize to Wen Heng. How agonizing it must be for him to suppress his body’s instinctive reactions.
“It’s my fault. Did I frighten you?” Wen Heng’s face paled slightly. “Wushang, I might not be human.” Yes, you are a drought demon.
“Whether human or demon, as long as one lives, it aligns with Heaven’s will. Strictly speaking, I’m not truly human either.” Lian Wushang didn’t mind that. Wen Heng smiled briefly before growing serious: “Wushang, if the day comes when I can’t control myself and try to devour your flesh and blood, don’t hesitate. Kill me then. Understand?”
Lian Wushang nodded. “Rest assured. If it ever comes to that, I’ll give you a quick death.” Lian Wushang rarely made promises, but once he gave his word, he would see it through.
Wen Heng and Lian Wushang emerged early. With few passersby near the Shen residence, no one noticed Wen Heng’s unusual state. Lian Wushang had cast spells on both of them, making surveillance by Shen Liang far from straightforward. The pair strolled along the street toward the magistrate’s office. What had transpired remained unspoken between them.
“Are you still planning to repay Shen Liang?” Lian Wushang inquired. Wen Heng glanced skyward before brazenly declaring, “Not anymore. Last night I read the fortunes for his four brothers—consider this payment for that service.” Wen Heng stated shamelessly.
Lian Wushang chuckled. He suddenly felt it was rather nice to have stepped out of Qinglianzhou and encountered Wen Heng. At the very least, Wen Heng had experienced more emotional turbulence in this short time than Lian Wushang had in all his years on Qinglianzhou. “Hmm, then don’t repay it. A single reading from the Thousand Machinations Hermit is worth a fortune. This is already a bargain.”
The two walked along, taking in the street scenery. When they reached the county yamen, it was still closed. They waited opposite the courthouse for a while, only to find not a single constable in sight today. The office across the street that handled identity documents was also closed.
Wen Heng stopped an old man to ask and learned that the government offices were closed for the day, making it impossible to process identity documents. Wen Heng blinked, surprised that obtaining an identity document for himself and Gouzi would prove so difficult.
“Then we’ll come back tomorrow. Wushang, let’s explore Qingcheng Town,” Wen Heng said, feeling a sense of “I knew it” in his heart. He suspected his identity documents might be impossible to process. Lian Wushang didn’t object: “Let’s go.” Having lived in Qinglianzhou for years with few outings, occasionally experiencing mortal life was quite interesting.
“Wait a moment.” Passing a pastry shop, Wen Heng hurried over and bought some candied fruit. Sweets were still a rare treat back then—a small packet cost fifty copper coins. Wen Heng didn’t think it was expensive. Holding the paper wrapper, he walked back to Lian Wushang and handed it to him.
Lian Wushang glanced at him. “Why did you buy this?”
Wen Heng replied, “I saw you like sweets. Buying something to pass the time is nice. With your help, I earned my first money ever. This is my treat for you.” Lian Wushang took the brown paper-wrapped candied fruit. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but he didn’t dislike it.
Qingcheng Town truly offered splendid scenery. Compared to the landscapes along the way from Xiaoyan Town, Qingcheng’s views were more refined. Carved wooden buildings, mist-shrouded arched bridges, and willows swaying in the breeze… Wen Heng, lacking in education, racked his barren mind for a long time but could only conjure the words “beautiful” and “pretty.” Nothing else came to him.
The two walked along the riverside of Qingcheng Town. Floating on the water were countless lotus lanterns. It seemed Qingcheng Town was celebrating a festival these past few days. Not long after setting off, Wen Heng and Lian Wushang spotted many vendors selling lotus lanterns along the riverbank.
“These river lanterns might look even prettier at night,” Lian Wushang remarked. “When lit after dark, the river surface sparkles like a starry sky—far more beautiful than by daylight.”
Wen Heng replied, “Then let’s come back tonight to see them and float our own lantern.”
Lian Wushang smiled faintly. “Why join the crowd? Have you forgotten our days begging for food?”
Wen Heng’s gaze lingered on the lanterns. “Precisely because I can’t forget those days that I want to live better now, leaving no regrets.” Lian Wushang sighed helplessly. “You, huh? As soon as you have money in your pocket, you start splurging.”
Hearing this, Wen Heng handed his dusty money pouch to Lian Wushang. In the sunlight, his eyes crinkled into two crescent moons as he smiled. “Then Wushang, you can manage me from now on. If I earn any money in the future, I’ll give it all to you to keep.”
Lian Wushang chuckled. “How can you do this to Gouzi?”
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
